Extreme sourdough frustration - reviving starter from refrigerator
Hello all,
I am a self-taught home-baker trying to break into the sourdough game. My latest fail is all the more frustrating because of the recent success I had. Here is a picture of a absolutely lovely loaf of honey/spelt/oat sourdough I created with a new starter last week. My starter is 50/50 rye/all-purpose and it had never been refrigerated.
I then put my starter in the refrigerator because I only bake on weekends. I took it out on Wednesday night and fed it three times before attempting to make another levain. The levain didn't pass the float test after 7 hours, but it was bubbly so I proceeded. This is what I got this weekend:
This is the third time my starter has failed after refrigeration. I have now fed it a few more times and it seems to be losing strength (fewer and fewer bubbles).
So frustrated. Any suggestions/help would be much appreciated!
I'm in the middle of Sarah Owens Honeyed, Spelt and Oat levain. A lovely recipe.
That second photo looks amazing!
A bit more about your starter feeds. What ratio, how long does it take to peak before the next feed and at what stage do you refrigerate?
I bring the starter back down to 40g; and then feed with 40g of my rye/ap mix and 40g of water. It seems to take about 12 hours to peak. I have been feeding it twice daily. I have only refrigerated it once, but I put it in the fridge about 2 hours after feeding it.
Your starter is reacting just fine from the sound of things. A week in the fridge then to take 12 hours to peak after a feed of 1:1:1 sounds normal. What happens with the second feed?
It rises on a 12 hour schedule and bubbles. I tried to make another levain today and waited 10 hours. It still sank like a stone. As does my starter now.
Try this..
Tomorrow morning, get up early (ish). Take starter jar from the fridge and take out 50g and put in a bowl. To this add 100g flour and 100g water at 30°C. Mix well, leave covered in a draft-free place. Also top-up the starter with 25g flour and 25g water. Leave this covered next to the bowl.
It should be ready in 4-5 hours. bubbly, light coloured, floaty...
Put the jar back in the fridge and use the starter to make bread - personally, I'd go for a simple recipe - 400g white, 100g wholemeal, 9g salt and about 290-300g water, mix and leave. Do stretch & folds and use more water if that's your thing. It should be good to shape in under 8 hours, shape, prove (1-2 hours) bake.
I normally start at 3pm, make up the levian, mix/knead at 8pm and leave it overnight - well, until 5am when its scale/shape/proof time then in the oven at 7am.
-Gordon
10 g of starter fed 10 g of flour and water. 4 hours later it is fed 20g each of flout and water and then 4 hours later it is fed 40 g of flour and water. At the end of 12 hours it should have doubled after the 3rd feeding and will pass any float test. If you make sure your levain is at its peak when it hits the mix, you never have to worry about its ability to do the job you want done.
Happy baking
This is my way; Both Gordon's and dabrownman's are good! Use whichever works best FOR YOU.
I keep my starter in the refrigerator because I don't bake frequently enough to keep it out. I refresh my starter monthly, at least! That keeps enough yeast and lactobacteria present so they will revive readily.
The day before I want to bake, I take the yeast out of the refrigerator, mix it and throw away about half. I take this and feed it with equal weights of chlorine free water and flour. I let this stand at room temperature for about ten or twelve hours and then I again refresh; starter : water : flour = 1 : 1 : 1 by weight. I let this stand at room temperature overnight. The starter is then ready to be incorporated in the bread preparation. I make sure that the refreshing has created enough starter for the recipe plus some to save, If you start with 50 grams of starter the first refresh will give you 150 grams and the second refresh will give you 450 grams.
Good luck. AND have patience!!
Fiord
it may take time for the starter to finish fermenting before feeding it on the counter. It sounds like the starter in the fridge was underfermented. Always better to wait for the starter to catch up. Next time before chilling, let it rise about a third in volume before tucking it away in the fridge.
Remove a tablespoon of the oldest chilled starter you have (hopefully the one from 3 weeks ago) and add about equal weights or volume of warm water. Stir or don't stir and let it warm up and ferment until it smells lovely (not like just wet flour) and tastes sour. Then feed it to make the levain with whichever method you like. Wait until the starter peaks and with rye, a bit fallen before feeding (diluting) again.
If you don't have any old starter around, you might have to let the starter sit longer before feeding it. Perhaps a day or two at 76°F. What is your ambient room temperature?
Mini
What works for me is taking my starter out in late evening the day before I make my dough. I take it out of fridge, let sit out for an hour or so, then feed. Leave it out and make levain in the am.
I feed the starter again before putting back in the fridge. Let sit out for at least half an hour until some activity is apparent.
I think you just need to photograph your flat loaf from overhead. It would look fine then. :)
A little time and more patience was what was needed (and more feedings to revive). I also think I did put the starter into the fridge a little too early, Mini. I know have a more vigorous starter and a second success! Half freshly-milled spelt and einkorn:
Looks, and sounds, delicious. No problem with your starter.
Enjoy!